Neymar Sues Brazilian Journalist Over Addiction Claims as Injury Battle Persists

Neymar has filed a defamation-related legal action against a Brazilian journalist who accused him of being addicted to whisky, energy drinks and late-night gaming, his representatives said. NR Sports, the player’s management, described the accusations as reckless, defamatory and false as the case moved toward civil and criminal action. The 33-year-old Brazil star, who is currently with Santos, responded to the claims with a cryptic social-media post alongside a photo of an energy drink.

Rodolfo Gomes, who runs the channel Futeboteco, had published a video alleging that Neymar is “hooked on whisky with energy drinks, smokes shisha, and only goes to bed at 4:00–5:00 a.m.” The broadcaster also suggested that Neymar’s alleged habits were affecting the team, claiming training had been pushed back to accommodate the forward and that Santos’ new coach, Juan Pablo Vojvoda, was considering moving training times earlier to indirectly expose the issue. The report was picked up by Brazilian outlets, amplifying a media storm around a player who remains a constant figure in football headlines.

Neymar’s side did not address the specific accusations in detail, but they asserted that all civil and criminal legal measures are being pursued to hold those involved accountable. The player himself appeared to treat the matter with a degree of levity on his Instagram Story, posting a photo of an energy-drink can with the caption “ADDICTED to Red Bull. That one’s great” and a winking emoji, a move some observers described as a nonchalant dodge of the controversy while maintaining his fitness-focused public image.

The legal dispute comes as Neymar is working to regain full fitness from a fresh injury setback. On September 18, during Santos’ training, he suffered a grade-two tear in his quadriceps and is expected to be out of action until November. Team officials have not disclosed a precise timeline for his return, but the injury is another setback in a career marked by repeated muscle issues and broader injury absences. He has previously dealt with a broken foot, ankle ligament damage at PSG, and an ACL tear at Al-Hilal, making this latest setback part of a lengthy injury chronology.

The episode unfolds amid a turbulent period for the club and its supporters. In August, Santos ultras gathered outside the training ground after a 6-0 defeat, confronting Neymar and the rest of the squad. Eyewitness accounts reported a tense atmosphere, with some reports indicating threats of violence toward players at the club’s Rei Pele facility. Neymar told ESPN Brazil that he was ashamed by the display, saying he was deeply disappointed with the performance and urging fans to express their passions without violence, while acknowledging the fans’ right to voice their opinions.

Brazil’s national team context adds another layer to the situation. Carlo Ancelotti, Brazil’s national-team manager at the time, publicly emphasized that talent alone is insufficient without physical fitness. Ancelotti said that Neymar must be 100 percent fit to contribute at the World Cup level and noted that he has been making progress in his rehabilitation, though he did not commit to a timeline. A senior adviser connected to the interview described Neymar as the most talented Brazilian player, while underscoring the need for him to be in peak condition to contribute at the international level.

Neymar is Brazil’s all-time leading scorer, with 79 goals in 128 appearances. He has not played for the Selecao since a knee ligament injury suffered against Uruguay in October 2023, which ruled him out for roughly a year. In recent months, he returned to Santos, his boyhood club, but the comeback has been punctuated by injuries and off-field headlines that keep him in the public eye even when he is sidelined. The ongoing defamation case and the current quadriceps injury both contribute to the sense that Neymar’s career, long defined by prodigious talent, remains defined as much by his ability to manage and overcome adversity as by moments of brilliance on the pitch.

As the legal process unfolds, Santos work to balance a return-to-play timeline with the realities of a squad seeking stability and a fan base anxious to see its star regain form. Neymar, for his part, has signaled his intent to return to action for Santos later this year, while also signaling a willingness to use social media to counter misinformation. The case serves as a reminder of how a single, widely circulated accusation can escalate into a legal confrontation that intersects with a career chronically shaped by injury, pressure and high expectations.